Personal background, motivation and interpersonal style of psychotherapy trainees having different theoretical orientations: An Italian contribution to an international collaborative study on psychotherapy training

Background: Therapist characteristics seem to be a key factor in clinical effectiveness. Trainees’ personal and professional background, motivation, and interpersonal style have been shown to deserve attention in previous research concerning therapist development and warrant further study due to their potential implications for psychotherapy training outcomes. Aim: To explore personal and professional background, motivation, and interpersonal style of psychotherapy trainees with different theoretical approaches. Findings: In the present study, 135 post-graduate psychotherapy trainees with different theoretical approaches (psychodynamic, systemic, and cognitive-behavioral) completed the Trainee Background Information Form (TBIF), reporting information concerning their background, style of relating, and motivations. Personal experiences of trainees were frequently reported as a motivation in undertaking psychotherapy training and were associated with negative experiences in childhood. Significant differences were found in the motivations and interpersonal style of trainees with different theoretical approach. Implications: Personal experiences, motivation and interpersonal styles should be taken into consideration in future studies on therapists’ development and in the implementation of psychotherapy programs. © 2018 British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy